Reflections from the Heart – February 12, 2023

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.” I love the gift of prayer.  Truly a gift from God.  A grace that permits us as sinful and unworthy that we are to enter into a sacred ground, a holy presence, an intimate union. Prayer is at the heart of who we are for we are a relationship, a community, a family, a response to God’s great love and his desire for sharing.  I am thankful to God for the many ways he meets us in prayer. He lifts us up, takes us into holy ground, and enters us into Holy Communion.  Sometimes we need the words from the saints or a poem or scripture to inspire us. Sometimes we need to remain still and silent and simply be and receive what the Lord offers us in response to our prayer. Sometimes we need someone to guide us or lead us into divine intimacy through meditation, contemplation or reflection.  Sometimes we just need the Holy Spirit to speak directly to our hearts through a song, a lyric or an upbeat melody or one that moves us to tears.  What a great gift prayer is.  So many ways to pray, praise and share and to acknowledge our needs and cry to God for help and assistance.  In moments when we feel nothing else is working, thankful for the opportunity to pray.  One of the things we seem to ask for in prayer is patience.  We are often plagued with situations we cannot control, change or correct.  We experience those difficult days when nothing seems to go right.  We can’t get a break. Great opportunity for prayer.  God always provides the wisdom, grace and direction we need.  In prayer, we are not in control, God is. Actually, can we say that we are in control of any situation or conversation?  Can we control the thoughts, responses, or actions of another?  Are you able to control your anger, temptation, impatience, desire, or sin?  In the end, we have the grace and power of holy baptism to renounce and say no to sin and to believe and say yes to God, his will, his Spirit, his grace. In the end, we have the power and free will to respond to every situation and conversation. Yes, let us pray for patience for it is a virtuous gift and a great aid to prayer. However, let us pray for the grace to say yes to God and no to all that opposes him.